Canopy-frame.



G. F. LINDSEY & G. A. WILLIAMS.

CANOPY FRAME.

APPLIUATION'IILED JUNE 9, 1913- THE NORRIS PETERS Patented July 7; 19,14.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

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G. F. LINDSEY & G. A. WILLIAMS. CANOPY FRAME.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, 1913. 1,102,418. Patented July 7, 1914 1 2 SHEETSSHET 2.

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in s'ra'rns a'rnn'r GEORGE F. LINDSEY AND GEORGE A. WILLIAMS, GE BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

CANOPY-FRAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 7, 1214.

Application filed June 9, 1913. Serial No. 772,615.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE F. LINDSEY and GEORGE A. WILLIAMS, citizens of the United States of America, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Canopy-Frames, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to canopy frames, its object being to perfect a center support to which radially disposed rods or bars forming the frame are connected and by which the canopy frame is suspended from a cord or overhead support.

One object of our invention is to simplify and cheapen the cost of construction of our canopy frame by forming the center piece with sockets or seats which receive and detachably hold the frame members so that they can be readily and quickly assembled or detached to form a compact shipping package. We prefer to form the transverse mem ber of the frame in one piece, and the longitudinal members in halves, connecting all to the central support by attaching the latter to the center of the transverse member and seating the inner ends of the longitudinal frame members in the sockets or seats of the central support.

A further object of our invention is to .form the integral cross member of the frame with a bight or loop center which serves as an eye to receive the cord or hook bywhich the canopy is suspended.

A further object of our invention is to form or shape the central support with a slot through which the loop of the cross member of the frame projects and to provide it with diametrically opposite sockets to receive the end members of the frame work, and means for attaching it to the cross memher.

A further object of our invention is to show various means by which the sockets or seats for receiving the frame members can be economically and practically provided in central supports formed of either single or double metal disks which are suitably itamped or shaped to receive the frame memers.

Our invention further comprises the details of construction and arrangement of parts which in their preferred embodiments are hereinafter more particularly described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a top plan view of our improved canopy frame. Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of one formof the central support. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of Fig. 2, and Fig. fl: is a transverse cross-sectional View on the line AA of Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6 are plan and end views of a blank stamped to form a difierent type of central support. Fig. 7 is an end view of Fig. 8, showing the support inverted. Fig. 8 is a bottom view of the support shown in Fig. 5 with the frame members connected thereto. Fig. 9 is a bottom view of a further modification of our central support, and Fig. 10 is an end view of Fig. 9 corresponding to Fig.

:7 and broken away to show the internal arrangement of parts.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

According to our invention the canopy frame is formed of longitudinally disposed rods 1, 2, 3 and 4 which form the end members of the frame and are radially connected to a center support 5, to which is also connected a transversely disposed rod 6 which forms the cross member of the frame and is preferably formed from an integral rod or -wire having a bight or loop 7, at its center which isadapted to serve as the eye to re- 1 ceive the cord orhook :by which the canopy is suspended. This eye 7 is adapted to be passed up through a central openlng 8 in the center support 5. We have illustrated several constructions for this center support, all of which are adapted to receive and support in operating position the members form ing the canopy frame.

In Figs. 2 to 4 we show our preferred construction of the center support 5 which consists of two circular metallic plates 9 and 10, which are each similarly stamped or shaped to provide two pairs of diametrically opposite radial half sockets 11 which are semicircular in cross section and which stop just short of the center of the plate. Each plate is also formed with a half socket 12 which extends diametrically across the plate between the radial sockets. The plates 9 and 10 being correspondingly stamped, except for a slot 8 in the middle of the socket 12 in the upper plate 9, the half sockets 11 and 12 formed therein will therefore match when 'to receive the other members of the frame which are quickly and easily assembled by having their inner ends inserted in the short radial sockets 11. Loops or eyes 14 are provided at the outer ends of the several members of the frame to receive a binding cord or the canopy itself, the latter serving, while connected to the members, to hold them assembled in the center support. When shipping the frame, the end members 1, 2, 8 and 4 are withdrawn fromthesockets and as their length is approximately that of the cross member 6, the five pieces are tied together, the center support being left-attached at the center of the cross member 6.

In Figs. 5 to 8, inclusive,we illustrate a modification of the center support by means of which we are enabled to form it from a single plate. According to this embodiment of our invention, We stamp from a sheet metal plate of suitable thickness and rigidity a circular plate 15 having opposite pairs of perforated marginal lugs or ears 16, the

units of each pairbeing diametrically opposite. The plate has also a diametrically opposite pair of lugs 17 which are provided at each side with free tongues 18, which are adapted to be folded overabout the cross rod 6,, as seen in the bottom view Fig. 8. At the center of the plate we provide a'slot' 8 adapted" to receive the eye 7 in the cross rod 6 "so that it will project above the plate, as seen in the inverted view of Fig. 7. In radial alinement with each lug 16 and between it and the center of theplate, we provide a similar lug 19 which is formed by making a sub stantiallysemrcircular slit in the metal and cutting a central opening 20- in the tongue formed by the, slit. A similar opening 20 is in each of the lugs 16. When it is desired to assemble the end members of the frame in this center support, the lugs 16 and19 are 'bent downwardly at right angles to the plate as indicated in Figs. 7 and 8, thereby bringing their openings 20 into alinement to form four radial seats which will receive and detachably hold the end members.

In Figs. 9 and 10 a further modification of our invention is disclosed, wherein we stamp or form from sheet metal a center support formed by a plate 21 having a depending marginal flange or rim 22 in which two pairs 'of diametrically opposite openings 23 are formed and-adapted to receive the end members of the frame. Inradial alinement with adapted to receive the loop 7 when the cross member 6 is dropped into the openings 25, so that it projects above the plate as indicated in the inverted view, Fig. 10. In order to hold the cross member 6 to the center support, the latter is cut to form two pairs of tongues 26 which are adapted to be bent about the member 6. These tongues 26 correspond to the tongues 18 of the support shown in Fig. 5 and they can be readily bent about the cross member 6 to fasten the central support thereto.

The manner of forming the seats or sockets may be widely varied without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, What We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A canopy frame comprising an integral cross member which extends from side to side of the canopy, a frame support rigidly attached to the center of said cross member formed with diametrically opposite pairs of seats, rods forming canopy supports which are adapted to fit intosaid seats and be detachably held therein, one rod having a loop at its center, and means to attach said cenloop.

3. A canopy frame comprising a cross member having a loop .or eye formed by a bend at its center, a frame support slotted to receive said loop which projects .therethrough, radially disposed seats on said support, and end frame members disposed substantially radially with'respect to said support and having their inner ends'connected tosaid support by beinginserted into said seats. I

. 4. Acenter support for a canopy frame, which support is shaped to form radially disposed seats into which the inner ends of radially disposed end rods are insertible, and having a transverse seat adapted to receive the central portion of a cross rod of the frame, substantially as described.

I ter support to said rod with'the loop, which means engage said rod on each side of said 5. A metallic center support for a canopy frame which has portions of its body dis placed to form two pairs of oppositely disposed radial seats and to form. a diametrical seat, there being a slot in line therewith in the center of the support, and means to connect said support to a frame member in said diametrical seat.

6. In a canopy frame, radially disposed rods forming the end supports for a canopy, a cross rod forming the side supports for the canopy, a central support for the frame, comprising radial seats which receive and Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the detachably hold the end members, means to attach said central support to the center of the cross rod forming the side supports for the frame, which rod has a central offset which interlocks with said support.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE F. LINDSEY. GEORGE A. WILLIAMS.

Witnesses:

W. C. PRICKETT, NOMIE WVELsI-I.

"Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). C. 

